People say buying a house or moving home is stressful. I totally agree and whilst at my Agency we do our best to make things easy believe me, when I say it’s nothing compared to online shopping!!

My close friends and family know that I dislike self service tills and the impersonal detachment of internet shopping. I can be honest and admit that I absolutely hate it. Don’t get me wrong, I think it has its place especially when I enviously see my neighbour’s food shopping being brought by a kindly man driving a Morrison’s van bringing their weekly shop to the door. Seeing this made me think how great it would be and how much time I would save if I or my wife didn’t have to go food shopping.

The one and only time I tried food shopping online I received all sorts of stuff. Some I ordered and some I didn’t… other times I tried Birthday gifts which didn’t arrive on time, clothes which looked lovely on the internet model are not what I had hoped for – sack of spuds springs to mind!

A long awaited mother’s day gift for my sister was delivered by courier to my house and because no one was home they very kindly left it in a safe place… the recycling bin which was emptied on the same day! So, if you don’t mind, I’m sticking to high street shopping in the future.

Thank goodness we don’t buy houses online. Can you imagine it…?!

According to a recent nationwide study by Vivo Property Buyers, people find the task of selling their home more stressful than other life events like getting a divorce, death of a spouse or being made bankrupt. How stressful would it be to buy your next house directly off the internet?

Luckily the Internet doesn’t sell houses. Can you imagine logging onto the internet, finding a Walsall house that you want to purchase and adding it to your shopping cart? Checking the delivery address is correct. Deciding whether to pay by PayPal or credit card and then finally, excitedly, waiting for the courier to deliver it.

The internet doesn’t sell houses it sells viewings. Walsall properties are advertised there with pictures to capture your interest and entice you to pick up the phone and book a viewing. The real selling of a home is done in the property itself, person to person.

Buying any house is an emotional heartfelt experience. Buying a home is special. If you like something you will feel an instant warmth and connection with the house. You will see your furniture in the house, personal items dotted about and your loved ones curled up on the sofa. You need to see and explore it. You want to be able to see yourself in the house, no not a house – a home and maybe your new home.

Would an agent’s photos online show you all you want to see? The best photos can’t possibly show you everything?! Would you be able get a clear picture in your mind of the house from just a description?

What about those questions you have about your future home? An good Walsall estate agent will have lots of useful information to share with you, especially if you are new to the area.

We like to know about the houses we are letting/ selling. We like to know about the area and the neighbours. We want to tell you the history of the house, if you were buying a second hand car, you would want the full-service history, wouldn’t you? Why should a house be different?

Online Property Agents

Selling houses is about people and customer service. Online shopping is cold and impersonal. What happened to my sister’s present you may ask? Well, I phoned and phoned and each time I kept hitting a brick wall with an automated message. Now, that was a stressful time!

So my advice, stick to the high street for things that are really important. Have you had a similar experience which has made you reflect and think? If so I would love to hear about them.

Happy house hunting whatever you are seeking…

If you want an honest opinion about your investment choices get in touch. I promise to tell you what you need to hear and not what you would like. Send me the Zoopla or Rightmove link so I know which property you’re on about.

Meet the Author

Salek Miah

Hi and thank you for visiting this blog. I have been involved in the Walsall Property Market since 1999, owning and then running my own property management company since 2005.

I have always shared my thoughts on the local property market in Walsall with my landlords, but now I want to share with everyone in the town including many outside of the area who have an interest.

On this blog I will talk about what is happening in the town’s property market itself, even looking at specific streets or housing estates. At other times I will post what I consider decent buy to let deals. As I am not involved in sales my loyalty is not divided. I can look at the whole of market and give you, independent and impartial advice on what I consider the best investment opportunities.